Package for apparatus set

ABSTRACT

A rectangular parallelepiped apparatus set is stored in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer casing and is held so as not to be in contact with the outer casing via cushioning body disposed at each of the four corners of the apparatus set. An instruction manual is accommodated in a clearance space between the apparatus set and the outer casing by the cushioning body. The cushioning body is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements arranged in a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the apparatus set. At least one of the cushioning body elements is formed with a concave portion by extending a distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set in the first direction at both ends of the cushioning body elements in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to accommodate the instruction manual therein.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-089158 filed Mar. 28, 2006 including specification, drawings and claims is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a package for an apparatus set such as a DVD recorder or a projector, and more particularly to a package for an apparatus set in which an instruction manual is accommodated together with the apparatus set in an outer casing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a package for an apparatus set. FIG. 7 is a schematic front view of the package.

The package as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is a comparative example, in which an apparatus set 100 such as a DVD recorder in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped is stored in an outer casing 1 made from corrugated board or box board in the shape of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped, and the apparatus set 100 is held within the outer casing 1 via a cushioning body 2 disposed at each of four corners C1, C2, C3 and C4 of the apparatus set 100 so as not to be in contact with the outer casing 1. In the package as shown in the figures, the cushioning body 2 is divided into four separate elements 25, 26, 27 and 28 interposed between the four corners, a front right corner C1, a back right corner C2, a front left corner C3 and a back left corner C4, of the apparatus set 100 and the outer casing 100. And the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 are formed between the apparatus set 100 and the outer casing 1, and the clearances S3, S4, S5 and S6 are formed also on the left, right, front and back sides. Accordingly, the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 have the vertical width equivalent to the upper and lower distances H of the elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 in a vertical direction of the apparatus set 100 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Also, the left and right clearances S3 and S4 have the transverse width equivalent to the transverse distances W of the elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 in a longitudinal direction A of the apparatus set 100 as shown in FIG. 6.

In this package, for the four divided elements 25 to 28 composing the cushioning body 2, the distances W in the longitudinal direction A and the distances H in the vertical direction from the apparatus set 100 are set as small as possible within the limits where the elements 25 to 28 can absorb a drop impact and protect the apparatus set 100 from the drop impact. Thus, the entire package can be made as compact as possible to suppress the stacking and transportation costs on the container.

By the way, in a case where an instruction manual is accommodated together with the apparatus set 100 in the outer casing 1, the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 of the apparatus set 100 are used as an accommodating space for the instruction manual. However, since the apparatus sets 100 may be supplied to many places of destination having different languages, the instruction manual is thickened or the volumes of the instruction manual are increased. Then, the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 of the apparatus set 100 are so narrow that it is difficult to use them as the accommodating space.

In this situation, the distances H of the elements 25 to 28 of the cushioning body 2 from the apparatus set 100 is extended to enlarge the clearances S1 and S2 so that the clearances S1 and S2 can be effectively utilized as the accommodating space of the instruction manual.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing a package. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of the package. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the distances W1 of the elements 25 to 28 in the longitudinal direction A from the apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 8 is kept equal (W1=W) to the distances W as shown in FIG. 6. On the other hand, the upper or lower distances H1 of the elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is larger than the distances H as shown in FIG. 7 (H1>H). With this constitution, the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 of the apparatus set 100 are enlarged as compared with those as shown in FIG. 7, and can be used as the accommodating space for the instruction manuals 200. Therefore, the instruction manuals can be accommodated in the clearances S1 and S2 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

In addition, in the package for a plasma display apparatus, the cushioning material is interposed at two upper and lower positions between a package box and the plasma display apparatus stored in the package box, and the accommodating space for the instruction manual is formed on the cushioning material interposed on the lower side (e.g., refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-72845A). In addition, a space formed between a lower cushioning body arranged on a lower side of a product and an upper cushioning body arranged on an upper side of the product is used as the accommodating space for the instruction manual, and the instruction manual is accommodated in the accommodating space (e.g., refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-128146A).

However, in the package as shown in FIG. 8 or 9, when the distances W1 of the four elements 25 to 28 in the longitudinal direction A from the apparatus set 100 is kept equal to the distances W as shown in FIG. 6 and the upper or lower distances H1 of the four elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 is extended, the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 are enlarged to pack the instruction manuals 200 in the clearances S1 and S2, whereby the height of the package is increased by an extension size of the upper or lower distances H1 of the four elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100. Therefore, in a case where many packages are staked and transported on the container, the number of stacks on the container with limited stack height must be reduced. Therefore, there is a problem that the total number of packages loaded on one container is smaller, and the transportation cost per unit package is increased.

Also, in the package as shown in FIG. 8 or 9, since the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 of the apparatus set 100 are used as the accommodating space for the instruction manuals, there may be problems that the instruction manuals is not fully held within the package, because the instruction manuals are likely to move in the vertical direction (height direction) or transverse direction within the clearances S1 and S2, and when the package is subjected to a drop impact, the instruction manual vigorously collides against a top case (housing) of the apparatus set, causing a flaw on the top case, and in some cases an impact of collision is passed to a wiring board stored within the top case, possibly causing a crack such as a fissure or fracture on the wiring board.

SUMMARY

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a package for an apparatus set in which the instruction manual is fully held inside the package so as not to move within the outer casing as much as possible without adding any new components and impairing the protection effect for the apparatus set with the cushioning body, so that the instruction manual does not collide against the top case of the apparatus set due to a drop impact to cause a flaw or damage on the wiring board.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a package for an apparatus set in which the constitution of the package as described with reference to the FIG. 6 or 7 is not greatly changed to accomplish the above object.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a package for an apparatus set in which the number of stacks inside the container with limited stack height can be kept equivalently to the package as described in the package as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In order to achieve the above described objects, according to the invention, there is also provided a package for an apparatus set in which the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus set is stored in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer casing and is held so as not to be in contact with the outer casing via cushioning body disposed at each of the four corners of the apparatus set and in which an instruction manual is accommodated in a clearance space between the apparatus set and the outer casing by the cushioning body, wherein;

the cushioning body is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements arranged in a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the apparatus set; and

at least one of the cushioning body elements is formed with a concave portion by extending a distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set in the first direction at both ends of the cushioning body elements in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to accommodate the instruction manual therein.

With this constitution, the cushioning effect exhibited by the cushioning body divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements is not lower than the package as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, and rather its cushioning effect is improved over the package as shown in FIGS. 6, and 7. Also, since the distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set is extended at both ends in the second direction of the apparatus set to form a concave portion to accommodate the instruction manual therein, the accommodating space for the instruction manual is shifted sideways of the apparatus set from the upper and lower clearance spaces (S1 and S2 of FIG. 9) of the apparatus set, whereby the instruction manual is fully held inside the package and does not collide against the top case of the apparatus set to cause a flaw or damage on the wiring board. Moreover, depth of the concave portion for use as the accommodating space for the instruction manual can be adjusted to be commensurate in size with the thickness or the volumes of the instruction manual by increasing or decreasing the distance. With such an adjustment, it is possible to prevent the situation where the instruction manual is not fully held inside the package. In addition, according to this invention, it is possible to increase the yield of the corrugated board or box board required to form the outer casing. This yield improvement effect will be further described below with reference to the following embodiments.

Each of the cushioning body elements may be formed with the concave portion.

With this constitution, the instruction manuals can be accommodated in installments on both sides of the apparatus set.

Each of the cushioning body elements may be divided into a front side element and back side element which are arranged at a front corner and a back corner of the apparatus set respectively and disposed at a distance from each other in the second direction.

With this constitution it is not required to greatly change the constitution of the package as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

According to the invention, there is also provided a package for an apparatus set in which the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus set is stored in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer casing and is held so as not to be in contact with the outer casing via cushioning body disposed at each of the four corners of the apparatus set and in which an instruction manual is accommodated in a clearance space between the apparatus set and the outer casing by the cushioning body, wherein:

the cushioning body is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements arranged in a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the apparatus set;

each of the cushioning body elements is formed with a concave portion by extending a distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set in the first direction at both ends of the cushioning body elements in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to accommodate the instruction manual therein; and

each of the cushioning body elements is divided into a front side element and back side element which are arranged at a front corner and a back corner of the apparatus set respectively and disposed at a distance from each other in the second direction; and

each of the front side element and back side element is formed with the concave portion by retracting a distance of the front side element and back side element from the apparatus set in the first direction and a distance of the back side element at a position excluding the both ends of the cushioning body elements in the second direction.

As described above, in the package for the apparatus set according to the invention, the instruction manual is accommodated in the clearance space formed sideways of the apparatus set within the outer casing, whereby the instruction manual does not collide against the top case of the apparatus set due to a drop impact to cause a flaw or damage on the wiring board. Accordingly, there is the advantageous effect of preventing the apparatus set from flaw on the top case or damage on the wiring board. Also, there is the advantageous effect that it is possible to easily handle the increased required volumes or increased thickness of the instruction manual without adding any new components and impairing the protection effect for the apparatus set with the cushioning body.

Further, since it is possible to easily handle the increased required volumes or increased thickness of the instruction manual without making the height of the package larger, there is the advantageous effect that the number of stacks on the container with limited stack height can be kept equivalently to the comparative example, and the greater transportation cost per unit package is suppressed.

In addition, since it is not required that the arrangement or number of the cushioning bodies is changed, there is no fear that the packaging operation efficiency is lower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a package for an apparatus set according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the package;

FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the package;

FIG. 4 is a developed view showing a shape of a corrugated board used for an outer casing according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a back side element forming a cushioning body element according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing a package for an apparatus set;

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing the package shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing a package for an apparatus set; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing the package shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a package for an apparatus set according to the invention will be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following explanation, the members or parts corresponding to the members or parts as shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 are designated by the same numerals.

The outer casing 1 is formed in the shape of flat hollow rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIG. 3. This outer casing 1 is assembled of two corrugated boards 10 having the shape as shown in FIG. 4. That is, one corrugated board 10 comprises two rectangular plate parts 11 partitioned by a folding line 11 a formed on an intermediate part in the longitudinal direction, the bottom plate flaps 12, 13 and the upper lid flaps 14, 15 linked via the folding lines 12 a, 13 a, 14 a and 15 a on both sides for each partition of the rectangular plate parts 11, and a connection piece 16, as shown in FIG. 4. And two corrugated boards 10 having this constitution are combined into a box shape, and connected using the connection piece 16 to make the outer casing 1 in the shape of flat, hollow rectangular parallelepiped as shown in FIG. 3.

As will be apparent from FIG. 3, the shape of the apparatus set 100 stored in the outer casing 1 is rectangular parallelepiped. Such apparatus set 100 may be a disk unit for a DVD player or DVD recorder, an optical projection apparatus such as a projector, or a magnetic tape unit such as VCR.

In this embodiment, a cushioning body 2 is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 arranged in the transverse width direction of the apparatus set 100, and each pair of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 is further divided into a front side element 25, 27 and a back side element 26, 28. The front side elements 25, 27 and the back side elements 26, 28 comprise the recessed portions 25 a, 26 a, 27 a and 28 a into the corner. And the elements 25 to 28 on the front side and the back side are accommodated with the apparatus set 100 in the outer casing 1 in a state where the recessed portions 25 a to 28 a are fitted into the four left, right, front and back corners of the apparatus set 100. In this manner, the front side or back side elements 25 to 28 interposed between the outer casing 1 and the apparatus set 100 at the four corners of the outer casing 1 immovably holds the apparatus set 100 inside the outer casing 1 so as not to be in contact with the outer casing 1 and protects the apparatus set 100 against a drop impact by absorbing it in a state where the apparatus set 100 is stored together with the cushioning body 2 in the outer casing 1. Each of the elements 25 to 28 is formed of a compact of foam resin, for example. In FIG. 5, the back side element 28 formed of the compact of foam resin is exemplified in three dimensions. Also, the apparatus set 100 is stored along with the cushioning body 2 in the outer casing 1, so that the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2 and the left, right, front and back clearance S3 to S6 are formed between the outer casing 1 and the apparatus set 100, as shown in FIG. 1 or 2. Among others, the back side clearance S6 is used to store an electric code (not shown) pulled out of the apparatus set 100 and the front side clearance S5 functions as a protection space for the control switches exposed on the front face of the apparatus set 100.

The left and right pairs of the cushioning elements 20 and 21 comprise the extended portions 31, 32, 33 and 34 jutting out in the longitudinal direction A at the front end part and the back end part in the depth direction D of the apparatus set 100 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction A, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, whereby each of the cushioning body elements 20 and 21 is formed with the concave portion 35, 36 with stage. In other words, the concave portions 35 and 36 are formed by extending the distances W2 of each pair of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 in the longitudinal direction from the apparatus set 100 at both ends of the apparatus set 100 in the depth direction D. In this embodiment, the left and right pairs of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 are divided into the front side elements 25, 27 and the back side elements 26, 28, whereby the extended portions 31 to 34 are provided for the elements 25 to 28 on the front side and the back side, in which the concave portions 35 on one side (right side) are formed by the extended portions 31 and 32 of the front and back elements 25 and 26 on one side (right side) that are arranged at the front corner and the back corner of the apparatus set 100 and disposed at a distance from each other, and the concave portions 35 on the other side (left side) are formed by the extended portions 33 and 34 of the front and back elements 27 and 28 on the other side (left side).

And the instruction manuals 200, 200 are accommodated within the left and right concave portions 35 and 36, whereby the concave portions 35 and 36 are utilized as the accommodating space for the instruction manuals.

In the package with the above constitution, the instruction manuals 200 are accommodated in the left and right clearances S3 and S4 of the apparatus set 100, but not in the upper and lower clearances S1 and S2, whereby even if the package is subjected to a drop impact, the instruction manuals 200 are only moved within the left and right clearances S3 and S4 of the apparatus set 100. Therefore, there is no risk that the instruction manuals 200 collide against the top case or bottom case of the apparatus set 100, leaving a flaw, or the instruction manuals 200 collide against the top case or bottom case of the apparatus set 200 to damage the wiring board inside.

The operation of the package in this embodiment will be described below in contrast with the operation of the package (comparison example) as described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

In FIG. 1, the distances of the extended portion 32 for the front side and back side elements 25 to 28 of the pair of cushioning body elements 20, 21 on one side in the longitudinal direction A from the apparatus set 100 is indicated by sign W2, and the distances of the portion (non-extended portion) excluding the extended portion 32 from the apparatus set 100 in the longitudinal direction A is indicated by sign W3. Also, in FIG. 2, the upper and lower distances of the front side and back side elements 25 to 28 of the cushioning body elements 20 and 21 from the apparatus set 100 is indicated by sign H2. The distances W2 and W3 for the extended portion 32 and the non-extended portion are the same size for the front side and back side elements 25 to 28 of the cushioning body elements 20 and 21. Similarly, the upper and lower distances H2 is the same size for the front side and back side elements 25 to 28 of the cushioning body elements 20 and 21.

Under the above presupposition, for each of the elements 25 to 28, the distances W3 of the non-extended portion is defined to be equal to the distances W as shown in FIG. 6, and the upper and lower distances H2 is defined to be equal to the distances H as shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, the cushioning effect against drop impact exhibited by the elements 25 to 28 is not lower than in the comparative example as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and rather is improved over the comparative example because the extended portions 31 to 34 exist. Also, since the height of the package is maintained equivalently to the comparative example as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the number of stacks within the container for use in transportation is kept equivalently to the comparative example.

A yield of the corrugated board 10 required to form the outer casing 1 of the embodiment on the basis of the necessary area of the corrugated board required to form the outer casing of the comparative example as described in FIGS. 6 and 7 will be described below in contrast to the example as described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

In making the outer casing 1 by combining two corrugated boards 10 as shown in FIG. 4, if the longitudinal length of a rectangular plate part 11 in the corrugated board 10 is increased, the height of the outer casing 1 becomes larger, whereby if the longitudinal length of the rectangular plate part 11 is increased, the overall longitudinal length Y of the corrugated board 10 becomes larger. On the contrary, if the transverse length of one side partition (partition corresponding to the front plate part or the back plate part of the outer casing 1) Q partitioned by the folding line 11 a on the intermediate part of the rectangular plate part 11 is increased, the transverse width of the outer casing 1 becomes longer, whereby if the transverse length of the one side partition Q is increased, the overall transverse length X of the corrugated board 10 is increased.

Accordingly, the distances W1 of the elements 25 to 28 in the longitudinal direction A from the apparatus set 100 as in the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is maintained equal (W1=W) to the distances W in the longitudinal direction A in the comparative example as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and the upper or lower distances H1 of the elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 in the example is extended over the distances in the comparative example (H1>H), so that the thick instruction manual 200 can be accommodated in the upper or lower clearances S1, S2, for which it is required that the overall longitudinal length Y of the corrugated board 10 of FIG. 4 is increased by AY. In such a case, the overall area Z1 of the corrugated board 10 is represented by the following expression (1). It is assumed that the size of the connection piece 16 is ignored.

Z1=X·(Y+ΔY)  (1)

On the contrary, the upper or lower distances H2 of the elements 25 to 28 from the apparatus set 100 in the vertical direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction A and depth direction D in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is maintained equal to the upper or lower width H (H1=H) in the comparative example as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and the distances W2 of the elements 25 to 28 in the longitudinal direction A from the apparatus set 100 in the embodiment is extended over the distances W in the comparative example (W2>W), so that the thick instruction manual 200 can be accommodated in the left or right clearance S3, S4, for which it is required that the overall transverse length X of the corrugated board 10 of FIG. 4 is increased by ΔX. And in this case, the overall area Z2 of the corrugated board 10 is represented by the following expression (2). It is assumed that the size of the connection piece 16 is ignored.

Z2=(X+ΔX)·Y  (2)

Herein, if the same instruction manual is packed in the example and the embodiment, ΔX can be set equal to ΔY in the expressions (1) and (2). In a case where the apparatus set 100 is the typical rectangular parallelepiped set such as a disk unit or a magnetic tape unit, there is a relationship of X>Y.

Accordingly, comparing the sizes of Z1 and Z2 from the expressions (1) and (2), Z1 is greater than Z2, whereby the area Z2 of the corrugated board 10 in this embodiment is smaller than the area Z1 of the corrugated board 10 in the example, so that the yield of the corrugated board 10 in the embodiment is increased correspondingly.

In the above embodiment, the cushioning body 2 is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements 20 and 21, each pair of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 are formed with the concave portions 35, 35 with stage in which the instruction manuals 200, 200 are packed within the concave portions 35. However, the concave portion 35 may be formed on only one side of the two pairs of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 depending on the volumes of the instruction manual.

Also, in the embodiment, the two pairs of cushioning body elements 20 and 21 are further divided into the front side elements 25, 27 and the back side elements 26, 28. In this regard, the front side elements and the back side elements may be integrally molded so that the distances of the cushioning body elements 20 and 21 in the transverse direction may be extended at both ends of the apparatus set in the depth direction to form the concave portion and pack the instruction manual in the concave portion as the clearance space.

By the way, since the front side elements 25 and 27 have the extended portions 31 and 33, and the back side elements 26 and 28 have the extended portions 32 and 34, even if the distance of the non-extended portion in the longitudinal direction A is reduced, it can be said that the cushioning effect of the cushioning body 2 is not too lower. Therefore, if the distance of the non-extended portion for the front side elements 25, 27 and the back side elements 26, 28 in the longitudinal direction A is reduced below the comparative example as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, there is the advantage that the transverse width of the outer casing 1 is suppressed as much as possible to make the package compact without degrading the cushioning action with the cushioning body 2 and decreasing the depth of the concave portion 35 and 36. 

1. A package for an apparatus set in which the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus set is stored in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer casing and is held so as not to be in contact with the outer casing via cushioning body disposed at each of the four corners of the apparatus set and in which an instruction manual is accommodated in a clearance space between the apparatus set and the outer casing by the cushioning body, wherein: the cushioning body is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements arranged in a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the apparatus set; each of the cushioning body elements is formed with a concave portion by extending a distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set in the first direction at both ends of the cushioning body elements in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to accommodate the instruction manual therein; each of the cushioning body elements is divided into a front side element and back side element which are arranged at a front corner and a back corner of the apparatus set respectively and disposed at a distance from each other in the second direction; and each of the front side element and back side element is formed with the concave portion by retracting a distance of the front side element and back side element from the apparatus set in the first direction and a distance of the back side element at a position excluding the both ends of the cushioning body elements in the second direction.
 2. A package for an apparatus set in which the rectangular parallelepiped apparatus set is stored in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped outer casing and is held so as not to be in contact with the outer casing via cushioning body disposed at each of the four corners of the apparatus set and in which an instruction manual is accommodated in a clearance space between the apparatus set and the outer casing by the cushioning body, wherein; the cushioning body is divided into two pairs of cushioning body elements arranged in a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the apparatus set; and at least one of the cushioning body elements is formed with a concave portion by extending a distance of the cushioning body elements from the apparatus set in the first direction at both ends of the cushioning body elements in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction so as to accommodate the instruction manual therein.
 3. The package as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the cushioning body elements is formed with the concave portion.
 4. The package as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the cushioning body elements is divided into a front side element and back side element which are arranged at a front corner and a back corner of the apparatus set respectively and disposed at a distance from each other in the second direction. 